Nimby claims over ambulance concerns

A 'NIMBYISM' award should be given to Princes Risborough after concerns were raised over the number of ambulances using the town's roads, a councillor claimed.

The town is halfway between Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe hospitals, meaning an above average number of emergency vehicles go through it.

Speaking at a County Hall meeting this week, Buckinghamshire County Council chairman Carl Etholen said: "Princes Risborough Town Council wrote a letter expressing concerns about the number of ambulances that are going along the A4010. With centralisation of services, that's going to happen."

He said concerns had also been raised over the noise levels created by the vehicles' sirens.

Cllr Julia Wassell responded: "If there was a national award for the most nimby town in Britain, Princes Risborough Town Council must win for not wanting dying patients going through its town."

Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee chairman Lin Hazell called for Cllr Wassell to retract her comments, but she refused to backtrack.

Cllr Etholen added emergency vehicles could face further problems during disruption caused by the mooted construction of HS2 near Princes Risborough.

He said: "With HS2 potentially being constructed, there will be more problems on that road and we really need to look longer term as to how ambulances can get through the amount of traffic. There are 20,000 vehicle movements on that road every day."

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Annet Gamell, Chief Clinical Officer for the Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "As part of the planning for any major upheaval, they have to have a route prepared for emergency services."

She added ambulances are fitted with state-of-the-art GPS systems that can warn drivers where there are queues.

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Comments (7)

QUOTE:Carl Etholen said: "Princes Risborough Town Council wrote a letter expressing concerns about the number of ambulances that are going along the A4010. With centralisation of services, that's going to happen." He says this as if PR had any say in the matter of routing emergencies through the town. It has the air of "I told you so" Cllr Wassell says "dying patients going through town..." Dear Cllr Wassell, they would not be 'dying' if the idiots hadn't closed Wycombe A&E because they would have been in the trauma centre much earlier. Don't blame Princes Risborough (and no, I don't live there) for the consequences of daft decisions made elsewhere.

QUOTE:Carl Etholen said: "Princes Risborough Town Council wrote a letter expressing concerns about the number of ambulances that are going along the A4010. With centralisation of services, that's going to happen."
He says this as if PR had any say in the matter of routing emergencies through the town. It has the air of "I told you so"
Cllr Wassell says "dying patients going through town..." Dear Cllr Wassell, they would not be 'dying' if the idiots hadn't closed Wycombe A&E because they would have been in the trauma centre much earlier. Don't blame Princes Risborough (and no, I don't live there) for the consequences of daft decisions made elsewhere.motco

QUOTE:Carl Etholen said: "Princes Risborough Town Council wrote a letter expressing concerns about the number of ambulances that are going along the A4010. With centralisation of services, that's going to happen." He says this as if PR had any say in the matter of routing emergencies through the town. It has the air of "I told you so" Cllr Wassell says "dying patients going through town..." Dear Cllr Wassell, they would not be 'dying' if the idiots hadn't closed Wycombe A&E because they would have been in the trauma centre much earlier. Don't blame Princes Risborough (and no, I don't live there) for the consequences of daft decisions made elsewhere.

Score: 3

Little Miss says...12:29pm Wed 16 Apr 14

Surely the 'Nimby' award should go to the person who ultimately sanctioned moving all the facilities from Wycombe General Hospital over to Stoke in the first place?

Surely the 'Nimby' award should go to the person who ultimately sanctioned moving all the facilities from Wycombe General Hospital over to Stoke in the first place?Little Miss

Surely the 'Nimby' award should go to the person who ultimately sanctioned moving all the facilities from Wycombe General Hospital over to Stoke in the first place?

Score: 11

Malc London says...8:43pm Wed 16 Apr 14

Every sympathy for residents of Princes Risborough over the noise pollution. Instead of people making wise cracks, how about addressing the problem. Would £52,000,000,000 be better spent on more hospitals and saving those dying patients?

Every sympathy for residents of Princes Risborough over the noise pollution. Instead of people making wise cracks, how about addressing the problem.
Would £52,000,000,000 be better spent on more hospitals and saving those dying patients?Malc London

Every sympathy for residents of Princes Risborough over the noise pollution. Instead of people making wise cracks, how about addressing the problem. Would £52,000,000,000 be better spent on more hospitals and saving those dying patients?

Score: 4

5 is too many says...8:57pm Wed 16 Apr 14

"She added ambulances are fitted with state-of-the-art GPS systems that can warn drivers where there are queues." They are fitted with sat navs but the ones fitted do not give details of traffic congestion! Also, regardless of how busy a route is, critical patients will be taken the most direct route regardless of traffic conditions. We have to accept that we will not see an A&E back in Wycombe. Maybe we need to improve the alternative care options in the Wycombe area to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions altogether, making life more bearable for everyone.

"She added ambulances are fitted with state-of-the-art GPS systems that can warn drivers where there are queues."
They are fitted with sat navs but the ones fitted do not give details of traffic congestion! Also, regardless of how busy a route is, critical patients will be taken the most direct route regardless of traffic conditions.
We have to accept that we will not see an A&E back in Wycombe. Maybe we need to improve the alternative care options in the Wycombe area to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions altogether, making life more bearable for everyone.5 is too many

"She added ambulances are fitted with state-of-the-art GPS systems that can warn drivers where there are queues." They are fitted with sat navs but the ones fitted do not give details of traffic congestion! Also, regardless of how busy a route is, critical patients will be taken the most direct route regardless of traffic conditions. We have to accept that we will not see an A&E back in Wycombe. Maybe we need to improve the alternative care options in the Wycombe area to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions altogether, making life more bearable for everyone.

Score: 2

Malc London says...10:54pm Wed 16 Apr 14

But the article is about residents who do not want to hear sirens throughout the day and are being called Nimbys. Tell me someone who would like to live under constant noise. Perhaps Nimby should be considered a good term, someone who cares for community! Let's all become Nimbys, people who care, people who want to make a difference to make things better. Perhaps Nimby is a good term, meaning someone who cares.

But the article is about residents who do not want to hear sirens throughout the day and are being called Nimbys. Tell me someone who would like to live under constant noise. Perhaps Nimby should be considered a good term, someone who cares for community! Let's all become Nimbys, people who care, people who want to make a difference to make things better. Perhaps Nimby is a good term, meaning someone who cares.Malc London

But the article is about residents who do not want to hear sirens throughout the day and are being called Nimbys. Tell me someone who would like to live under constant noise. Perhaps Nimby should be considered a good term, someone who cares for community! Let's all become Nimbys, people who care, people who want to make a difference to make things better. Perhaps Nimby is a good term, meaning someone who cares.

Score: 0

motco says...9:01am Thu 17 Apr 14

Not In My Back Yard (horrible Americanism in itself) means that you care about your immediate environment, and refuse to accept changes that are deleterious to your quality of life. The corollary is one who is content to dump supermarket trolleys and old cookers in their front gardens, and will behave in a socially unacceptable manner, surely? I paid good money for my property and chose its location for the kind of surroundings it has. The money was hard earned and I would expect to protect my interests - I refuse to be ashamed of that!

Not In My Back Yard (horrible Americanism in itself) means that you care about your immediate environment, and refuse to accept changes that are deleterious to your quality of life. The corollary is one who is content to dump supermarket trolleys and old cookers in their front gardens, and will behave in a socially unacceptable manner, surely? I paid good money for my property and chose its location for the kind of surroundings it has. The money was hard earned and I would expect to protect my interests - I refuse to be ashamed of that!motco

Not In My Back Yard (horrible Americanism in itself) means that you care about your immediate environment, and refuse to accept changes that are deleterious to your quality of life. The corollary is one who is content to dump supermarket trolleys and old cookers in their front gardens, and will behave in a socially unacceptable manner, surely? I paid good money for my property and chose its location for the kind of surroundings it has. The money was hard earned and I would expect to protect my interests - I refuse to be ashamed of that!

Score: 0

Her Next Door says...11:25am Thu 17 Apr 14

If you want to live in a peaceful rural village environment, with minimal road noise or disruption from traffic of any kind, then don't live in Princes Risborough within such close proximity to a major A road, which serves as a direct link between the 2 largest towns in the county. Cllr Wassell talks some absolute rubbish sometimes, but on this she is spot on.

If you want to live in a peaceful rural village environment, with minimal road noise or disruption from traffic of any kind, then don't live in Princes Risborough within such close proximity to a major A road, which serves as a direct link between the 2 largest towns in the county.
Cllr Wassell talks some absolute rubbish sometimes, but on this she is spot on.Her Next Door

If you want to live in a peaceful rural village environment, with minimal road noise or disruption from traffic of any kind, then don't live in Princes Risborough within such close proximity to a major A road, which serves as a direct link between the 2 largest towns in the county. Cllr Wassell talks some absolute rubbish sometimes, but on this she is spot on.

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